A motorcyclist died Wednesday morning after she crashed while heading west on Crosstown Hwy. 62 in Edina.
The victim's name has not been released, but the State Patrol said she was a 51-year-old woman from Lakeville.
The motorcyclist was in the left lane near France Avenue when she drifted onto the shoulder and struck a guardrail about 6:40 a.m. She was ejected from the 2018 Kawasaki VN900, the patrol said.
The motorcycle was the only vehicle involved in the mishap, the patrol said.
Authorities shut down the westbound lanes for about two hours while they investigated the crash. While the lanes were closed, traffic was diverted off the highway at France Avenue.
The incident caused a significant backup, with traffic jammed as far back as Penn Avenue until lanes reopened about 8:45 a.m., Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic cameras showed.
